1. chains of amino acids linked together by peptide bonds, typically containing more than ten amino acid residues
Usage: biochemistry; plural form

Examples

• Polypeptides are the building blocks of proteins in living organisms.
• The researcher studied how polypeptides fold into their functional shapes.
• Insulin is composed of two polypeptides connected by disulfide bonds.
• During digestion, enzymes break down proteins into smaller polypeptides.
• The laboratory synthesized artificial polypeptides for drug development.
• Polypeptides can range from just a few amino acids to several hundred.
• Scientists use mass spectrometry to analyze the structure of polypeptides.